In Hamilton County, most public schools are constructed of reinforced concrete, reinforced concrete block, brick, and other durable materials. Most newer schools contain dedicated tornado shelter areas. Students and teachers can shelter within inner corridor areas or basements and avoid the worst of such a storm. Experience shows that such buildings generally remain standing, and provide relative safety, even when in the direct path of a tornado.
Most houses in the county, however, are constructed of wood studs. In older neighborhoods houses often sit on shallow crawlspaces and have minimal if any wind reinforcement. Experience shows that such dwellings can be easily leveled when in the direct path of a tornado.
Families given scant warning of school closures will likely still need to transport children from one place to another in the morning and afternoon, and there is little difference in storm safety between a private car and a school bus.
Teachers are trained to calm and lead children to safety should a storm be spotted. Young children left home alone may panic should a tornado hit, and likely will not know what to do.
Shame on the Hamilton County Department of Education for kicking children out of some of the safest places in the county at a time when weather may be the worst. Their decision feels like a cowardly bow to risk-averse attorneys.
Clif McCormick
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Lawyers are risk-averse.
And this one disagrees with the proposition that kids are "safer" going to school when there is a threat of severe weather.
The risk omitted by the letter-writer is glaring. Children have to commute to and from school. A bus or a car would be the least safe place to be during a period of flooding, severe wind, hail, and possible tornadoes.
Thanks to our school systems for thinking through ALL of the risks to which our precious kids could be exposed when severe weather is credibly forecasted.
Michael Mallen, Esq.
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I for one want to thank the superintendent for closing schools. The storms are expected to come in between 2 to 5 o'clock. Guess what time school buses are running? So he's keeping the children from being out on the roads more than being in the schools. Being on the road would be much more dangerous than being in a building or house. I much prefer this than an unplanned half a day, which was the only other option.
James Berry
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Mr. McCormick, my career spanned 40 years working in schools as a teacher and administrator. I can assure you there are many school buildings that do not have tornado shelters much less a basement that could hold five hundred students plus teachers. Standard severe weather procedures place children in hallways and possibly a few interior rooms if available. That’s it.
The idea of having 20,000 to 30,000 students transported during a severe storm on school busses is also bad judgement. And the possibility of being stranded with five hundred plus children perhaps with no electric power is not good no matter how much faith you have in teachers ability to calm children.
Parents are informed as to operating procedures during severe weather and parents still have responsibility for their children if they are not in school. The cafeteria staff doesn’t stay to serve dinner either and couldn’t if the power was off. So if stranded, what would you have them eat?
The decision to close was neither cowardly nor unnecessary based on years of experience and training whether it’s snow or tornados. I’m just glad you weren’t making the decision for nearly 50,000 people.
Ralph Miller